Spokane County On the Go: Renew pet licenses. Find the mobile app by searching for “Spokane County” in the Google Play store,. iPhone users should search for “CivicMobile” in iTunes, and search for “Spokane County,” or use the “find my location” feature. Once selected, Spokane County will be the app’s default location.

Police can break car windows to rescue pets which are left in the heat or cold. Police will face limited liability for any property damage. Pet owners could face a $125 fine. (Washington State Law, effective July 24, 2015, KHQ.com)

Youth have a particular love for animals,
and most will enjoy a service project dealing with animals. Most youth
would love to take care of their neighbors’ animals while their owners
are on vacation.

Ask permission to take well-behaved pets on visits
to patients in hospitals or residents in care centers, nursing homes,
adult day care, convalescent centers, and homes of those with
disabilities.

Oxytocin is released in the brain when people spend time with animals, brushing and caring for them. This promotes the building of trust and bonding with each other, helping both of them relax and let go of stressful things.

Ask permission to give a pet to an elderly person.
Pets can make a positive difference in the lives of people. Pets give
elderly people unconditional love, help ease loneliness, provide an
exercise companion, and offer protection.

Finding a new home for your pet.
Local city and county laws no longer allow selling or giving away cats
and dogs on either public property or private areas open to the public,
including the front of a store, or the back of a pickup in a vacant lot -
UNLESS you have permission from the property owner. For those outside the City of Spokane, the law also applies to selling or giving away animals at garage and yard sales.

People who want to sell or give away their animals
may advertise in the newspaper. The fine within city limits is $267;
within the county it is $74 for the first violation, and $114 for the
second fine; and a third violation within 12 months becomes a
misdemeanor and could carry a $1,000 fine and as much as 90 days in
jail. (This law may increase the stray cat and dog population.)

Remember - not to leave pets inside parked cars in hot weather.
Even with windows cracked open, the temperature rises quickly and
dramatically inside a car. Violators can face criminal charges based on
the seriousness of the endangerment, ranging from unsafe confinement, a
misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, to
animal cruelty, a felony punishable by a year in prison and a $5,000
fine.

To report animal abuse or an endangered pet inside a parked car, call SCRAPS at (509) 477-2532, or call 911.